The presentation discusses creating virtual social networks on platforms like Facebook that parallel characters and narratives in literature. This can deepen student engagement by allowing them to analyze characters, interpret relationships and events, and be creative. Students make individual profiles for characters that include details like interests and statuses. Instructors can use these profiles and student interactions to formatively assess comprehension. A few example texts that could work for this include Romeo and Juliet, The Catcher in the Rye, and Animal Farm.

1. Parallel Literary Universes on
Facebook
NCTE
CHICAGO, IL
11.19.11

2. Presenter
 Jeff Carpenter, Assistant Professor, Elon University
 jeffpaulcarpenter@gmail.com

3. Who You Are
 Grade levels
 Facebook savvy
 Personal use
 Classroom use

4. Main Idea
The creation of virtual social networks that parallel literature can
deepen student engagement with and comprehension of
characters and narratives,provide opportunities to analyze and
interpret those characters and narratives, and spark student
creativity.

5. Why bring Facebook-like stuff into the
classroom?
 Connects reader to text
 Individual character analysis
 Social networks & relationship analysis
 Plot review
 Creative interpretations of characters, events,
language
 Discussion prompts
 Audience

6. Existing Facebook Summaries

7. Individual profiles
 Historical figures - Ben Allen, McKinley Tech High
School, Washington, DC

8. Facebook Parallel Universes
 Character Profiles
 Likes and Interests
 Groups
 Questions
 Photos
 Links
 Videos
 Social Networks
 Statuses, Comments, Likes, Groups, Photos, Videos
 Events

9. Character Profile Example

10. Walls

11. Wall example

12. Language Options

13. Example - Directions
Basic Information (11 Items):
 At least 10 of the following items must be completed on the page:
 Sex, Birthday, Current City, Hometown, Home Neighborhood, Family Members, Relationship Status,
Interested In, Looking For, Political Views, Religious Views.
Personal Information (32 Items):
 At least 31 of the following items must be completed on the page:
 Interests (10), Favorite Music (3), Favorite Movies (2), Favorite Books (5), Favorite Quotations (4),
About Me (6 sentences), Education and Work (2).
Photos (8 items):
 You must create a photo album with at least 8 photos, each with captions.
 These photos should be of items important to or representative of Holden.
Wall Post (11 items):
 The wall posts should highlight important/pivotal moments in the novel, and should be 1-2 sentences.
Groups, Pages, and Events (3 items):
 You must join (or create) at least 1 Group. The group should reflect Holden’s character and personal
interests
 You must join 1 Page. The page you join must reflect Holden’s character and personal interests.
 You must create 1 Event. The event you create must reflect Holden’s character and personal interests.

14. Critiquing Profiles, Ideas, and Language
Eg.
 What elements of the profile are most consistent,
and inconsistent, with your notion of the characters?
 Which ideas espoused by the characters are most
consistent, and inconsistent, with your notion of the
characters?

15. Non Facebook options
 Edmodo.com
 gaggle.net
 myfakewall.com

16. Off-line Options

17. Off-line Options
Photos - Thanks to Summer Pennell,
Bertie Early College HS

18. Parallel Universes as Formative Assessment
 Have students create initial basic profiles
 Use status updates, comments, likes & events to
gather on-going information on student
comprehension
 Use additions to profiles to assess depth of
understanding

19. Potential Texts
 Romeo & Juliet (Montague and Capulet social
networks)
 The Catcher in the Rye
 The Odyssey
 Animal Farm
 History options
 Eg., different Civil Rights leaders respond to different events
according to their varied philosophies (done at Chicago’s own
EPIC Academy)

20. Questions and Discussion
 Logistics
 Benefits &Drawbacks
jeffpaulcarpenter@gmail.com